Demons and monsters wreaked havoc in the mortal world. Despite the various immortal sects being prepared and immediately dispatching personnel, they could not avoid casualties when confronting the cunning demons.

Within one month of Ling Luo’s return to Tianji’s jurisdiction on the Eastern Island, she received news from all directions daily—where many had died, where demon kings had been encountered, which powerful cultivators had entered the mortal realm, or which independent cultivators had displayed extraordinary strength.

Tianji’s Eastern Island had many coastal villages. Disciples were usually responsible for dealing with sea demons that attacked these villages. Now with increased patrol personnel, even the sea demons had quieted down significantly.

As winter arrived, the weather turned cold, and dusk came earlier.

The seawater gently caressed the rocks, safely delivering returning boats. Fishermen nimbly packed up their tools and disembarked.

Ling Luo followed other disciples off the boat and felt a coldness on her face. Looking up, she saw the first snow of early winter had arrived.

Xu Shen, beside her, extended his hand and said, “Oh, it’s snowing.”

“What snow? It’s freezing,” Chang Fei rolled her eyes, hugging herself and rubbing her arms.

Nearby, several junior female disciples were excited about the snow, forgetting the fatigue from the sea patrol. They chattered enthusiastically, occasionally stealing glances at their senior male disciples.

Yu Xiu had a jade flute fastened at his waist and was walking and talking with Ling Luo:

“Demon attacks on humans have increased. Master has been in the mountains setting up arrays for seven days without coming out. It seems he will stay there for some time.”

Ling Luo played with the cherry blossom in her hand and said, “Second Senior Brother, you should go check on Master. I’ll contact Senior Brother to see how things are going on his side.”

Yu Xiu nodded, and as he left, he added, “Be careful on night watch tonight. I sensed the presence of sea demons earlier. They are also being influenced by the demons and growing restless.”

The new moon had risen over the sea, its crescent silently watching the passing clouds and the mortal world.

Ling Luo stood by the seaside, squinting at the distant horizon. Fine snow fell, quickly melting when it landed in her hair.

When carrying out sect missions, disciples away from the sect would wear their sect uniforms.

Several junior male disciples coming from the village looked toward the seaside and saw a graceful silhouette standing in the snow under the moon. Her white robe embroidered with golden patterns was elegant, making her appear untouchable.

Ling Luo was looking down, sending messages through her jade communicator.

Yue Liangze: “Arriving at Dianhua State tonight. Met people from Nanshan Snowy River on the way.”

“Don’t tell me you were unlucky enough to meet their young master.”

Yue Liangze: “…”

It seemed he had.

Ling Luo: “You’re unlucky.”

Yue Liangze told her: “His cultivation has progressed, and his Divine Technique Sword Intent has reached another level.”

Ling Luo was unconcerned but recalled how Yue Liangze had once gone alone to Nanshan Snowy River to challenge Feng Yunhong.

The arrogant Feng Yunhong, known as the world’s foremost sword master, had used his Divine Technique Sword Intent in battle against Yue Liangze but lost.

From that day on, the title of Sword Saint was taken by Yue Liangze.

But why had he gone to challenge Feng Yunhong in the first place, specifically asking to fight against Divine Technique Sword Intent? Wasn’t he supposed to be indifferent to fame and prestige?

He didn’t seem particularly interested in swordsmanship either.

While Ling Luo was lost in thought, she heard footsteps approaching and a clear, pure voice: “Senior Sister, it’s cold in the snow. This is for you.”

She turned to look, and from a distance, Chang Fei called out, “Disciple Dinglan! Your direct senior brother is here! Why aren’t you offering the umbrella to your senior brother first!”

Xu Shen, who was Dinglan’s direct senior, nodded.

The young man called Disciple Dinglan seemed to have used all his courage to speak to Ling Luo. After Chang Fei’s shout, his fair face immediately turned red. Meeting Ling Luo’s bright eyes, he stammered, “I-I’ll go get an umbrella for Senior Brother right away.”

“No need,” Ling Luo gripped the umbrella handle and walked toward Chang Fei and Xu Shen.

Xu Shen took the umbrella, covering the three of them, and said to Dinglan, “Thank you.”

Dinglan: “…”

He was stunned.

Chang Fei smiled mischievously, putting her arm across Xu Shen’s shoulders as they turned around. She took out her jade communicator with one hand and said, “We must tell Senior Brother about this to give him a sense of crisis. Our Senior Sister Ling is quite popular.”

Ling Luo received the routine report from Mu Xujing.

Mu Xujing: “Sixteen pots in total, eight have sprouted.”

Ling Luo: “What about the other eight?”

Mu Xujing: “There’s been heavy rain for the past two days, they probably drowned.”

Ling Luo: “…”

Is this how you grow flowers?!

Mu Xujing: “I’ve sent images of the sprouting flowers.”

Ling Luo looked at this sentence with profound intensity, but before she could reply, she received another message: “I forgot that Tianji’s jade communicators can’t receive images.”

Ling Luo: “…”

Ha.

Are you planning to live only for today?

After sending his message, Mu Xujing felt pleased. Having worked up a sweat from moving flower pots to avoid the rain, he wiped his brow and went inside for dinner at the old man’s call.

Distance truly dilutes fear.

Ling Luo heard Chang Fei mumbling as she sent messages: “Why can’t our jade communicators send images? Shouldn’t the Ten Thousand Phenomena Array be upgraded?”

Ling Luo snorted, “Useless people at Tianji.”

The other two felt their scalps tingle upon hearing this.

As Ling Luo was thinking about how to deal with Mu Xujing, Yue Liangze sent her a message: “Is it snowing?”

“Not heavily, but it’s beautiful,” she replied, then wanted to show Yue Liangze the snowy seascape. She pointed her jade communicator at the sea only to discover she couldn’t send images. Ling Luo cursed again, “These useless Elders!”

Xu Shen, to prevent her from cursing a third time, raised his hand and cast a silencing spell around them.

“The snow season is long. Do you need an umbrella?” Yue Liangze asked her. “I’ll buy one when I come.”

Ling Luo couldn’t help but glance at Chang Fei, who gave her a brilliant smile and a thumbs up.

“I need you,” Ling Luo sent back without blushing or a change in a heartbeat.

Seeing this, Yue Liangze pressed his lips together.

He didn’t know if this woman truly missed him, but whenever he saw messages like this, he wanted to fly on his sword directly to find Ling Luo.

But what he finally sent was: “I’ll go buy an umbrella.”

Ling Luo went to find Yu Xiu, “Second Senior Brother, there are many demons that junior brothers and sisters haven’t seen. Please urge Master to pressure the Elders to upgrade the jade communicators for image transmission as soon as possible, preferably by tomorrow!”

Yu Xiu looked a bit troubled: “Master is busy guarding the array and probably won’t divert his attention to matters of the Ten Thousand Phenomena Array.”

Ling Luo: “Then charm him a little!”

Yu Xiu: “…”

That trick only works when you use it!

Ling Luo looked at him with an expression of complete faith that Second Senior Brother could do it.

Yu Xiu sighed.

The next day, Tianji’s jade communicators were upgraded to transmit both voice and images, bringing tremendous joy to all disciples.

Snow had fallen all night. After learning this from Chang Fei, Ling Luo stored two snowy landscape images and sent them to Yue Liangze.

Yue Liangze: “The jade communicators can send images now?”

Ling Luo narrowed her eyes and immediately sent dozens of image messages to Mu Xujing.

“Can’t your jade communicator receive images?”

“Now that it can, you know what to do, right?”

“Since you’re so eager to send me flower pot images, I’ll reluctantly look at how you care for those fragile seedlings every day.”

“If you miss a day or let them die, I’ll hunt you down at Tianzhao Mountain.”

Mu Xujing, who had just woken up: “…”

I must still be dreaming.

He fell back into bed.

As Ling Luo stood in front of the house sending images to Yue Liangze, she heard Disciple Dinglan call out to her: “Senior Sister! Would you like breakfast?”

The young man with a clean, shy smile in the snowstorm gave Ling Luo a moment of bewilderment.

She finally remembered this junior disciple.

The unfortunate one was silenced by Yun Shouxi after being seen confessing to her.

Dinglan held a bowl and said, “These are all foods brought from the sect’s dining hall, along with cod soup sent by villagers.”

“Would Senior Sister like to join us?”

Ling Luo: “You eat first, I’ll go call Senior Brother to join.”

“Alright, I’ll save some for you, Senior Sister,” Dinglan smiled and turned away.

Before, Ling Luo hadn’t thought much about being liked. So many people liked her, and it wasn’t her fault they couldn’t get a response.

But the sentiment of affection shouldn’t be trampled on or insulted.

Ling Luo went to have breakfast with Chang Fei and Xu Shen. Dinglan, unable to integrate into their trio, remained silent, but the senior brothers took good care of him, asking after him with teasing warmth.

The next evening, Yun Shouxi returned from the mountains. The demons had been eliminated, and protective arrays for mortals had been set up. Due to excessive energy consumption, he appeared somewhat fatigued.

Snow fell silently at night. Ling Luo patrolled by the sea, with the bright moon hanging high, reflected on the deep blue sea surface. Being in this world gave her a strange sense of incongruity.

As she stepped toward the shallow waters, she heard Yun Shouxi call from behind: “Ling Luo.”

Ling Luo turned around: “Master?”

Seeing Yun Shouxi’s approach, she stood obediently: “Master has consumed a large amount of spiritual energy recently. Why aren’t you resting?”

Yun Shouxi said gently: “I came to see you.”

“Would you like something to eat?” Ling Luo asked.

Yun Shouxi shook his head, and Ling Luo said, “I’ll go get you an umbrella.”

After just a few steps, she was caught by the wrist by Yun Shouxi, who led her toward the sea.

“Master?” Ling Luo asked, feigning confusion.

“Accompany your Master to view tonight’s moonlight,” Yun Shouxi said softly.

He released spiritual energy that formed like dancing fireflies surrounding them, steadily walking with Ling Luo on the sea surface. Villagers who saw this from behind widened their eyes in astonishment.

Yun Shouxi strolled without apparent purpose, yet ventured further and further away.

He lowered his gaze to examine the deep sea beneath his feet and asked Ling Luo, “Is it beautiful?”

Ling Luo: “Yes, it’s beautiful.”

Yun Shouxi said, “Spiritual energy exists throughout heaven and earth. Ordinary people cannot see or sense it; only those with spirit veins can glimpse a bit of it. In this vast world, spiritual energy is everywhere, constantly regenerating. Yet throughout thousands of years of cultivation history, everyone has only glimpsed that tiny bit.”

The world only used that insignificant amount of spiritual energy to sustain the entire cultivation world.

Ling Luo’s jade communicator sounded, but because one hand was held by Yun Shouxi, and he was speaking about cultivation-related topics, she didn’t take it out.

Yun Shouxi looked up at the new moon behind dark clouds: “Besides humans, the only ones who can sense the existence of spiritual energy nurtured by heaven and earth are demons.”

He turned to look at Ling Luo and asked, “Why must cultivators eliminate demons?”

Ling Luo’s jade communicator continued to buzz, but she maintained her composure and answered, “To protect the order of the mortal world.”

Yun Shouxi raised his eyebrows slightly: “Is that all?”

Ling Luo knew the answer he wanted but pretended not to know, looking back with a bewildered expression.

Yun Shouxi: “Your Second Senior Brother would understand with just a hint.”

“That’s because Second Senior Brother is exceptional,” Ling Luo said righteously.

Yun Shouxi smiled indulgently: “It’s because both sides fear the other will take away the spiritual energy that belongs to them, especially when cultivating in the same area. If one’s cultivation doesn’t progress for a long time, they will suspect that others have taken more spiritual energy, preventing them from acquiring it.”

“Though demons cultivate differently, the most basic and necessary spiritual energy from heaven and earth is the same as ours.”

Ling Luo wanted to withdraw her hand to get the constantly buzzing jade communicator, but seeing that Yun Shouxi had no intention of letting go, she used her other hand to reach for it.

Yun Shouxi glanced at her casually.

“So killing demons also enhances our cultivation, and vice versa?” Ling Luo dealt with Yun Shouxi’s teaching while looking down at her jade communicator.

Goodness.

Mu Xujing had sent her dozens of images, no wonder her jade communicator wouldn’t stop buzzing.

Yun Shouxi smiled and said, “Except for evil spirits, the spirit veins of both humans and demons require the same thing.”

Ling Luo blinked at these words.

She hadn’t thought anything of it before, but now it sounded utterly strange.

She looked up at Yun Shouxi, meeting those gentle eyes.

Was it because humans and demons both needed spiritual energy from heaven and earth that her spirit veins were exchanged with demons so successfully?

Ling Luo curved her lips, glimpsed a message from Yue Liangze, and put away her jade communicator. Smiling, she asked Yun Shouxi, “Master, if a cultivator’s spirit veins were exchanged with a demon’s, what would happen to that person?”